This invention is directed to the installation of liquid jet outlets located in the underwater surface of a swimming pool, and more particularly to an improved test plug assembly and method for installing and pressure testing the floor inlet fitting and liquid jet housing connection before the assembly is embedded in the swimming pool floor.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,506,489, which is owned by the assignee of the instant application, a swimming pool can easily and effectively be cleaned by utilizing liquid jets spaced around the underwater surface. U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,006, also owned by the assignee of the instant application, is directed to a mechanism for producing liquid jets useful in the cleaning method and apparatus taught in the other patent. The mechanism of U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,006 includes a plunger with cam surfaces shaped and dimensioned so that intermittent introduction of pressurized liquid to the plunger housing will cause the plunger to axially reciprocate and rotate. As the plunger rotates, its outlet orifice registers with succeeding outlet ports in the housing so that the jets of liquid will intermittently flow under pressure and sweep an angle of 360.degree..
The liquid jet housing is located beneath the underwater surface of the pool and embedded in the concrete pool floor. The housings are attached through a T-fitting to piping which is located under the pool floor and which communicates with the source of liquid under pressure and an appropriate valve arrangement which provides the intermittent introduction of pressurized liquid to the housing. When the pool is under construction, the T-shaped inlet fitting normally would be connected to the piping and a standpipe soldered or solvent welded in place on the portion of the T which leads to the jet housing. The pipe is capped and the fitting pressure tested. The standpipe would then be cut to the correct height and the jet housing connected to the standpipe, after which the concrete floor of the pool would be formed and the inlet fitting and housing embedded in the concrete. A plaster finish coat is normally applied on top of the concrete and the outlet of the floor opening is flush with the underwater surface of the pool. The internal structure of the liquid jet assembly would then be inserted in the housing to complete installation.
It has been found that the method just described requires unnecessary steps such as installation and capping the standpipe and cutting it before the housing is installed, which adds to the cost of the swimming pool installation. In addition, by pressure testing the inlet fitting before the jet housing is connected, there is no testing procedure for the connection between the housing and the inlet fitting so that any leakage at the joint would not be detected until the entire assembly is embedded in concrete and the finish surface is formed. It can readily be seen that even if the possibility of joint leakage at that location is remote, the situation is still undesirable because of the great expense necessary to repair the leak.